


Free Bird

by BadRomantic



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Blood, Fighting, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Knife Violence, Spoilers, Violence, nongraphic depictions of violence, prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-14
Packaged: 2019-11-17 21:55:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18107237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadRomantic/pseuds/BadRomantic
Summary: Prompt: Kinda a prompt partly a wish: Five is there when Luther puts Vanya in the cell. He uses his powers to get her out!





	1. Chapter 1

When Five came back from another night of sulking, he nearly lost the wind in his lungs. There was a lot of blood on the floor (enough for him to slip around in, at least) and he watched as Mother nonchalantly cleaned it all away.

“What happened?” He demanded, stepping in and only pausing when Mother looked up and adorned her brightest smile.

“Oh, just a bit of a mess. Vanya came. Luther took her downstairs.”

“Downstairs?” Five echoed.

She nodded with a chirpy, “Mhm!” and turned back to face the mess at her knees, “If you would like to visit her, the stairs are in your father’s room.”

“Thank you.” Five hesitated before tacking on a quiet  _“…mother.”_ And scurried away.

As Five walked down the black hall, he could hear his siblings scream at each other. He didn’t think anything of it, especially since it was Diego and Luther. What did peak his interest was that Klaus was raising his voice.

He’s known Klaus for a few days now, and he knows Klaus rarely raises his voice with anybody. Or acts serious, actually.

“Let’s just let her out and ask her!” Klaus’s voice turned shrill towards the end, “I mean, if she does have powers then-”

“No.” Luther said, a finality to his voice that Five smirked at. Finally, his brother developed a real backbone. “Dad’s notes explicitly explained how dangerous the powers are.”

“You locked her away because  _dad_ said to?” Diego snapped.

“What’s happening here?” Five asked, tucking his hands into his pockets and strolled in.

Allison whipped her head to him. He gave a start when he realized there was a bandage over her neck.

“What happened to you?” He demanded.

Aliison went to scribble down on a notepad, but Luther spoke first. “Vanya attacked her.”

Five tipped his head at Luther. “Sorry, come again?” Vanya? The sweet girl who made him sandwiches?

“Number one here,” Diego spat out, “locked our sister up because he can’t wrap his head around what the definition of an accident is.”

“That’s not why I did it!” Luther snapped.

“Locked her up?” Five was truly lost now. He glanced at Allson, trying to find shackles on her ankles and wrists, “You look perfectly free to me.”

There was a distant banging that brought his attention away from Allison and to a tall, oval window of a room. Inside that room was Vanya, her lips moving as tears grouped in the corner of her eyes. He instantly brought his hands out of his pockets, tensing up as a rage swept him.

“What did you do?” He demanded.

“What I had to.” Luther had a dangerous look in his eyes, the same look his old boss would get when she praised him for a successful murder, “To protect us.”

“You locked her away in a cage.” Five summed up, space jumping past Luther and to the door of the room Vanya was trapped in. It was a simple wheel handle, so he reached out to jerk it open. It wouldn’t move.

“God  _dammit!”_  Five snarled, slamming his fists against the window. He didn’t mean to, but he startled Vanya away from it. She mouthed out something–  _Are you okay?_ – and then looked past Five’s head. He followed her gaze.

Luther stood solemnly, staring at Five with a sad frown. “Just let it go. We’ll figure something out.”

“Yeah?” Five sneered, “Just like dad, huh? We’ll sit in that big ol’ room, like the old man, sip his luxurious alcohol?”

Luther tensed. “Stop.”

“And what?” Five waved his hand, “Go about our day while Vanya remains in solitary? No. Let her out now,  _Number one.”_

“She has powers.” Luther looked a little desperate now, as if hoping the information would suddenly bring Five on his side, “Her powers… Five, I think she’s the end of the world, just like you mentioned. She attacked Allison. What would stop her from attack us?”

“I don’t know,” Five put on his best smile, “Perhaps  _not_ locking her away like a common criminal?”

Luther hesitated then.

“You’re no better than dad.” Five snapped, storming past Luther and the rest of them. “Alright, you bastards. Let’s go talk. Meet in dad’s office.”

The moment he passed the corner, he jumped. He was in Vanya’s cage the next second, watching from the far corner as the rest of his siblings left the room one-by-one. All the while, he could finally hear Vanya’s terrified screams.

“NO!  _ALLISON!_  I’m sorry!” She slammed the palms of her hand against the glass, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! I’m so sorry!”

It broke Five’s heart. He wanted to rush forward and tell her it’s okay and that he was going to take her away, but he had to wait for Luther and Allison to leave first. They were taking their sweet time.

“Please!” Vanya cried as they finally turned the corner, “Allison!”

Five took a slow breath. He glanced around the cage, wrinkling his nose at the spikes. “Jeez, Luther couldn’t even get you a mattress?”

Vanya whipped around. Her eyes were red and her cheeks had tear stains. It took everything in Five not to rush her in a hug. He must remain professional; a clean gentlemen.

“How about we go to a hotel?” He asked, holding out a hand and tried to be as nonchalant as he could be. His hand had a slight tremor that gave away his anger, but he was sure Vanya wouldn’t notice.

“I…” Vanya swallowed a breath, “I didn’t mean to do it.”

Five nodded, “I know. Powers… they aren’t as easily controlled as Luther likes to think. To be fair, he just has strength.” He smiled lightly, “Could you imagine him with a power like mine? Or yours?”

Vanya trembled as she approached him, reaching a hesitant hand out. As if he might hurt her any second.

“Take it.” He stretched his hand closer to her, “We’re leaving.”

“Where c-could we go?” Vanya’s voice shook, “You’re…. You’re just a boy…”

“Yeah, well…” Five’s eyebrow twitched, “This boy has done things that would make what you did to Allison a gift. Let’s go, Vanya…. Before they realize I’m not meeting them in Father’s office.”

She took his hand, and he brought her along with him as he space jumped to the farthest hotel in the city.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Five and Vanya. Either a continuation of your fic where he gets her out of the cell or just something about how protective he is of her, how important they are to each other.

They’ve stayed in an old hotel for a few days now. As far as Five is concerned, it’s his new home until Vanya decides for herself that it’s safe to go back to her apartment. He’s treated a lot of what’s happened as inconsequential; Honestly, who can expect him to believe his sister could mean any harm? He loves her. She would never hurt anybody on purpose.

“I think we should eat out tonight.” Five says, flipping through a book he stole from his father’s library, “I’m a bit bored of Dominos, If I’m honest.”

Vanya must have thought what he said was funny, because she made that silly snort of a laugh she has before answering.

“You know they could find us… right?”

“Of course.” Five peered over at his sister over the pages of his book, “But they also know better than to cross paths by me.”

Vanya’s shoulders dropped and she got a look of disbelief.

“You know… you’re only thirteen…”

Five felt his eyebrow twitch.

“I mean,” Vanya seemed to notice her mistake and hurry to fix it, “by body, right? You wouldn’t do much good against Luther…”

Five pondered what she said for a second before shrugging. “Superhuman strength or not, a bullet will stop any man if shot right.”

Vanya paled.

“I’m not planning on shooting Luther, or anybody else.” He sighed and turned back to his book, “Just so long as they don’t plan to pick a fight with us in public. That’s not a tough choice, is it?”

“No…” Vanya seemed to hesitate, “… is it?”

“No, Vanya. It’s not.”

Five bought the meal. They both settled for steak and he made Vanya wear her best suit. He adorned his (criminally cartoonish) formal school outfit to supper. He hasn’t eaten out with people for a long time… come to think of it, he doesn’t think he’s eaten in a couple of days.

It’s suddenly no wonder as to why he feels like he could snap a bone at any moment.

“Eat, Vanya.” He ordered, glancing at his sister as she apprehensively pushed around the salad on her plate, “I heard… what was it?  _Greens?_  I heard greens are good for a growing girl.”

Vanya laughed. Five declared it a win on his part. If he could make his sister smile, it was a good night.

“I keep forgetting you’re a lot older than me…” She said softly, “I keep thinking to myself,  _what do you say to a kid?”_

“I know the feeling.” Five admitted, “Half of the time, I just think cooing nonsense to them works better than not.”

“When did you meet a kid?” She blinked at him incredulously.

“Have you yet to be introduced to Klaus Hargreeves?” Five sipped his water.

Vanya small smile turned wide and she hurried to hide it. Five let her. He often hid his laugh from Dolores when she told a hilarious joke or story about her friends, so he understood the bashfulness of allowing such a natural emotion.

He ate his steak slowly. He had to, or else he could risk filling his stomach too quickly. He wasn’t sure how much it must have shrank from his days of starving, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take things slowly. Besides, he couldn’t focus on eating anyway. He had to pay attention to Vanya, and to the people who walked into the diner.

Let it be his luck that at any moment he could have an assassination attempt on his life. Being out so publically was as good as waving a white flag, if he was honest, but he wanted Vanya to feel normal for once.

“Hey, Five…” Vanya seemed to distance herself again, a nervousness in her voice that made it hollow, “Don’t mind me asking… or do… you can tell me to-”

“Please, Vanya,” Five made a motion with his hand, “continue with the question.”

“Why didn’t you let mom give you a name?” Vanya kept her eyes on the table.

He paused. It took him a little bit to remember why exactly he didn’t want a name, because it had been so long.

“Hm…” He tapped his fork, “I think it was to get back at the old man.”

Vanya frowned, her eyes holding the question he could already imagine her asking.

“Because we all knew he liked Luther most, that’s why he’s number one.” Five continued, “And for that, I wanted to make sure he remembered that even though I was better than the rest of them, he only thought I was a five.”

Vanya just stared. He wondered if she understood the spite he had to being called a _five,_ compared to her _seven._

“But don’t worry about that now.” Five pointed at her with his fork, “I’ve grown out of that rebellious phase, you hear? I like the name Five. It’s… hm…” He fought for the word,  _“iconic._  Right? That’s what you say on your Tumblrs?”

Vanya’s face split into a wide grin again. “No, actually, it’s… um… called-”

 _“The Tumbs!”_  Five guessed quickly. Right, of course. He’ll make sure to remember the name of that silly website next time. “Well, Tumbs is a  _drop top_  of cool…”

He must have used it wrong, because suddenly Vanya was hiding her face in her hands.

“No, Five, that’s not how you use  _drop top…”_

 _“Top drop?”_ He asked, wondering if he could ask someone for a pen to scribble his notes down on his napkin, “Tell me how to say it, I’ll use it correctly next time.”

“It’s old. You can’t use it anymore.”

“Old?” Five frowned and leaned back in his chair in disbelief, “What makes it old? I just saw a video of it last night.”

“Yeah, on Youtube.”

“WhoTube?”

“No,  _Youtube._  There’s videos from 2009 on there.”

Five blinked slowly before grumbling to himself. “That doesn’t sound very  _cash money…”_

Something strange happened after that. While Vanya laughed, Five could pick up the sound of an odd…  _clicking._ He looked away from his barley-eaten meal and glanced around the diner, searching for the noise’s direction.

Something was off.

“I think we need to go, Vanya.” He whispered. A spark of paranoia was beginning to urge him out of his seat, but he knew that if he moved too quickly it would provoke whoever was going to attack him.

“Oh.” Vanya sounded upset about it, but suddenly her voice lowered, “Is something wrong?”

“Meet me across the street.” He whispered, “I’m going to escape once I’m in the bathroom.”

“Why?” Vanya pinched her eyebrows together.

“Trust me, please?” He stood up slowly, smiling to her in hopes that it would make whoever was targeting him think he wasn’t trying to escape. “Leave in five minutes.”

He went straight to the bathroom without looking around. It would be too suspicious if he did, and he had to play it off like he didn’t know he was being followed. Thankfully, he snuck his steak knife into his pocket. So if anybody snuck up on him, he’d have a weapon to use.

He walked in, then hurried to hide in a stall. He locked the door, stepping back a bit and waited. A few seconds passed, and then the door of the bathroom creaked open and thumped shut. Footsteps walked towards his stall.

Five prepared himself. He gripped his knife. The footsteps went to the stall beside him. He let out a silent sigh of relief. Of course he wasn’t being attacked… He was fine. He stepped out of the stall, going straight to the sink to wash his hands just so he didn’t seem unruly.

He spared a glance at the mirror and immediately regretted putting his back to the stall. The last thing he saw before pain bursted in his skull was a Commission goon raising the butt of a gun to knock against him.

Five groaned, ending up on his knees and clutching his head.  _Fuck. That hurt._

 _“Here I thought we’d-”_  The goon didn’t get to finish her sentence. The idiot forgot he could teleport. So, he space jumped across the street of the diner, just as he told Vanya to go.

Immediately, his ears were assaulted with yelling.

“You _attacked_  Allison!” Luther’s booming voice made him want to collapse and throw up. His head hurt a lot.

 _“It was an accident!”_  Vanya wailed, a fury dripping from her words.

“Woah, Five, you okay?” Diego.

“Vanya, we need to go.” Five staggered to his feet. He can deal with his headache later.

“Your hair has blood…” Diego’s eyes narrowed as they held each other’s gaze, “What is happening?”

“We need to  _go,_  Vanya.” Five hissed, grabbing his sister’s hand tightly. Instantly, a jolt of pain went into his bones and he jerked away with a wince.

For the first time, he realized the crazed look on Vanya. Her eyes were pure white.

“Van?” He blinked slowly.

Vanya had her fist clenched tight, as if she was tempting the idea of throwing a punch. Five had no idea what he did to upset her, but he wished they could handle it _later_ and not–

The sound of gunshots filled his ears. They all ducked down, lunging to avoid the firing. Five tackled Vanya and teleported them behind a car. Pain seared his body. Whatever Vanya’s power was, it was strong and it  _hurt_  to touch her.

“I’ll protect you.” He groaned, letting her go before her strength made him too lightheaded.

Vanya’s face was unreadable. He wished he knew what Luther and Diego told her to make her angry at him.

“I promise.” He said, solidifying his new mission. He is going to protect his sister.

“Who are these guys?!” Diego yelled over the blasts.

“Friends from work.” Five shouted back, taking out the kitchen knife in his pocket and twisting it in his hand. Well… at least he gets to keep his skills sharp.

He jumped, landing right behind the three men who were firing away like they had all the ammo in the world. Perhaps they did.

“Hey, assholes!”

He jumped out of the way before a bullet was fired, striking one man in his throat with a fist and slicing his neck in the same second. One down, two to go. He dropped his knife and slipped out a handgun, using it to fire at the other two’s kneecaps. Of course, he didn’t miss his shot. He shot one man in the head as he reached for his stray gun while the other cried out in agony.

 _Rookies,_ he sneered mentally with an eyeroll,  _they’re always so sensitive._

“This is a silly model to use.” He said, walking to the blubbering idiot while he eyed the handgun, “It’s heavy and doesn’t load fast enough. You’d do better with a _dagger_ than you ever could with this.”

He decided not to torment him further. He knelt down, snapping his neck and tossing the gun aside.

He really hates it when work follows him home.

Five stood up, limping back to his siblings while they all gawked like idiots. Luther seemed the most surprised out of them all… he had no clue why. He could have sworn he’s already told Luther he kills for a living.

“Vanya, can we please go home now?” He pressed his palm into his stomach, “I think that steak didn’t agree with me.”

It’s true, he feels like throwing up.

Vanya stared at him for a long while before nodding. Maybe now she was less upset with him.

“You just murdered those men.” Five wasn’t sure if Diego was upset or impressed. Maybe both? Who knew?

“Yeah, well…” Five wrinkled his nose, “They ruined my night out with my sister. Now, if you excuse us, we have Dominos to order.”

“Now,  _wait a seco–”_

He took his sister’s hand (it no longer hurt to hold, thank God) and jumped right back to the hotel they were staying at.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to leave a prompt in the comments for a chapter 3 if you would like one


End file.
